Mandy Lee Studio

People often stumble when they first start making mixed media art. There are many reasons they feel they have two left hands. (No offense meant to the lefties out there!) Hell, who doesn’t have excuses when starting something new? For instance, they don’t feel ready, they don’t have the right supplies, they feel they can’t draw, they think they sense of color is atrocious- The list of insecurities and excuses goes on and on. But the bottom line is this: mixed media art has no right or wrong way of doing it. There are no rules in this field. Unless you end goal is to submit into the the high-brow art world, then you do have some rules you need to follow, but that’s for another article.

There are 10 things you need to know in order to start working in mixed media. The first five are affirmations. You already know the first one. But I’ll go over it again.The second five are supplies, which I’ll talk about in depth on Friday. So without further ado… The first five!

1. There is no right or wrong way of doing mixed media.

   This is so true. Unlike when you first start baking, you don’t have to measure everything out and follow the instructions perfectly to have a decent looking piece of art- or even have a fun time making art. The love and enjoyment of just making the journal page or painting will shine through the layers of paper and glue. And just like when you finally nail the perfect bread recipe again and again, you can start experimenting, adding bits of this and that, making new and wonderful pieces. So maybe there is a right way of making art- and that is to make paintings or sculptures or whatever over and over again.

2. You do not need to draw like Leonardo.

   Many people incorporate drawing and paintings to connect the various bits of materials they’ve added into a unified piece. But that doesn’t mean you have to draw like a Master to start making art. This also does not mean you have to have thousands of stamps. You just need to be able to express yourself and accept that the expression is beautiful- Even if it doesn’t look the way you want it to. Remember: Any one can learn to draw(Yes! This is true!), but it takes a Master to learn to accept your drawing.

3. You don’t need all fancy supplies, organization tools, studio space or business plan to get started.

   How many times have we all been sucked into this line of thought? You can’t make gel medium transfers without Golden’s Gel medium. You have to use PVA glue, not Elmer’s. Prismacolor is the only colored pencil you should use. You need an apothecary’s cabinet to hold all your stuff. Studio space is necessary for good art.Well, phooey on those people! In the next list of five I’ll tell you the only supplies you need, and they won’t cost more than $30-$40. But as far as organizing and space, you don’t need much of that either! Get a couple of tackle boxes, or kitchen tupperware, a small bookcase tucked into a corner to store your stuff in and the dining room table/ coffee table in the living room. That’s all you need to make art. You can work while the kids are finishing homework, or while the family is watching that Disney movie for the 100th time. As far as a business plan- remember, if you aren’t making art, then you have nothing to sell. So get to work first, make advertising deals later.

4. You’ll never be ready if you never just start.

   A big hurdle is simply starting on a project. How many times have you stalled out while looking at a big sheet of white paper? It’s hard to put a mark down, when you’re thinking about how much money you’ll waste if you screw up. Or you know that you’ll have to stop before you’re done because the kids will be home in 20 minutes, and you haven’t cleaned the kitchen, done the laundry or started dinner.

   But I ask you this: How much money have you spent on art supplies that you never use? If you don’t use the supplies, then haven’t you wasted money anyways? Or when was the last time you did something completely selfish and irresponsible(aka act like a 15 year old)? And, in moderation, doesn’t it feel great to act like a teenager without the horrible social anxiety, pimple out breaks, and bothersome rental tyranny? So you might as well start cutting and pasting! And don’t feel guilty later. You can always have little Bobby toss the clothes in the wash- He’ll need to learn someday.

5. Play and have fun.

   This is probably the hardest point to over come. It sounds so simple, but really it isn’t. Life will invade, thoughts will pour into your brain, taking over your “Me Time.” You’ll have an easier time if you already believe/follow the previous 4 points. But if you don’t there’s a couple things you can do to reach this goal. First is turn those thoughts into art. Write them down, then paint over them! Tell yourself, “I’m acknowledging that I know I need to wash dishes, but I also know that I need time for me.” Another idea is to work with people. Invite some friends over or join a local art group or join an online community. The key for this to work is to be active within the group. If you aren’t going to participate, then why do you need to work with people? And lastly, work with images and colors that you enjoy. If you like fairies, dragons and magic, then use those in your work. Not big, bold graphic shapes and colors, that leave you feeling cold. In other words, would you make a coconut cake if you hate coconut? Nope. So don’t work on a piece, if you don’t like what you’re working with.

Getting started isn’t that hard, but overcoming your own roadblocks can be difficult. But I know you can do it. And you can, as well.  Just take it one step at a time.

Look for the continuation of this post here.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 1:29 pm and is filed under Art News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave your thoughts, or trackback from your own site.